Summer is for Rest, Refocus
I can’t wait for summer to arrive for good. I’m looking forward to time spent outside with family; walking the neighborhood and the north woods of Wisconsin, coaching T-Ball games and lounging in inflatable pools.
This is what we call in the church “ordinary time.” To me there’s a certain joy that comes with welcoming in the “green” part of our church calendar. We leave the pomp-and-circumstance of Easter and Pentecost behind for an extended time to simply dwell within the larger scriptures.
But, as Kermit the Frog reminds us, “It’s not easy being green.” We overload our calendars as we try to fit in every conceivable leisure activity and chore. I would argue this struggle holds true within the church as well. Our pews can feel a little less full. The liturgy is simplified and the readings don’t seem to contain any discernable themes. Classes (kids and adults) take the summer off as our calendars fill with other activities.
Yet I love the summer. It’s a time of rest in the church and a time to focus on our worship life, rather than the myriad of events that happen during the program year. It provides an excellent challenge to see the extraordinary nature of our God in the midst of, well, the ordinary. This summer I pray that you find opportunities for new life in the ordinary, because the work we’re called into in Christ’s name is truly extraordinary.
Pr. Zak